THE LAXAY 311 



of the Laxay is that, like the Grimersta, it has a spring run of fish ; 

 again probably attributable to the fact that Loch Trialaval holds a 

 lot of water. It is neither a long nor a broad loch, but its ramifica- 

 tions are extraordinary, and it communicates with quite a number 

 of other lochs to the north and west. It was because of the great 

 amount of water which at times descended from this loch that 

 "Sixty- One" had his dam carried away repeatedly, and found the 

 greatest difficulty here in applying the system of impounding water, 

 which he had so successfully carried on at the head of the Black- 

 water. 



Loch Valtos generally yields the best results, and the fish are 

 heavier than in the Blackwater. The streams also often hold great 

 numbers of sea-trout, but in dry weather they become very shallow 

 and useless. 



Other streams of Lewis, but noted more for sea- trout than for 

 salmon, are the Creed, which falls into Stornoway Harbour; the 

 Laxdale and the Gress, north of Stornoway, on the east coast ; the 

 Morsgail, which flows into Little Loch Eoag, on the west ; and 

 the Barvas, away up on the flat and bare north-west of the island. 

 William Black's Laird of Barvas will still be remembered as well, 

 surely, as John, who was " a tevil of a good piper." 



HARRIS. 



The streams of Harris the High Island are, for the most part, 

 sea-trout streams, and a very great many of the small lochs com- 

 municating with the chief streams yield good sea-trout fishing in 

 early autumn. To other lochs sea-trout are unable to climb, but 

 in South Harris which is that part of the island south of the 

 Tarbert owing to the arrangement entered into by the proprietor, 

 Lord Dunmore, and an association called The Hebridean Sporting 

 Association, Limited, a good number of the obstacles have recently 

 been modified, a new fishing lodge built at Inisbay, and roads and 

 paths constructed by means of which access is more easily obtained 

 to the various waters. Inisbay and Eodel are now the two bases 

 of the association from which fishing is carried on. At the former 

 a deal of fly-fishing is practised in the narrow sea channels or kyles, 

 and some large baskets have been made, especially in the year 1890, 

 before the association took up residence. Eodel was formerly the 

 residence of the proprietor, and from it the famous Obe fishings are 

 reached at the south end of the island. 



